BLOG POST

by Dr Agachai Sumalee, Faculty Member at Chulalongkorn School of Integrated Innovation

The recent election campaign for Bangkok mayor reintroduced several urban issues into the public debate ranging from flooding and traffic congestion to public safety. This election was the first in Bangkok since the military takeover of Thailand in 2014, almost eight years ago.

The intervening eight years have meant that the public was keen to follow a debate about the future of the city even as they complained about city management and hardships in Bangkok. Most mayoral candidates presented their vision and policies for addressing public concerns and shed light on how to create a more optimistic horizon for the city\'s development.

From my own observations, the key differences between this election and past élections included:

i) Communication with the public via social media

ii) Public engagement via digital platforms

iii) Digital-oriented policy, and

iv) Data-oriented policy development

These shifts in the political campaign for mayor can be attributed to advances in digital and communication technology over the past decade. This coincided with the concept of “smart city development,” which has become a buzz word in city management in many countries, including Thailand. However, the term has acquired new meaning and emerged as a real-life strategy. To some extent, it also underpinned the performance of the winning candidate.

When the concept of smart city first appeared, it seemed to refer to a rather complex process and a high-investment notion. However, it turned out to be a largely straightforward evolution in public policy and management more closely connected to the people and more focused on the root causes of urban problems.

Social engagement and communication platforms can now be set up quickly and effectively via any social network platform; in fact, it is almost a prerequisite nowadays for all politicians to have their own social network presence or setup. However, these platforms were not only used for publicity but also to communicate policy, suggestions for action, direction, and strategy to the public in addition to listening to their voices and concerns.

After all, the fundamental concept of a smart city is about connecting city and people via technology or other media. Technology has also emerged as an important tool for bypassing current bureaucratic processes since simple technology can now be used to facilitate the public to access government services, connect with the relevant authority, and register grievances over any sub-standard public facility or lack of infrastructure.

Last but not least, the complexity of the urban issues we now face is a major challenge for any city mayor, particularly in an urban agglomeration as large as Bangkok. In response, mayors need to be aware of the problems and possess and demonstrate the ability to pinpoint solutions in a timely manner.

The era of the “gut feeling” form of city leadership has gone. Technology has changed and lifted public expectations concerning city services and quality of life. Today, the public requires scientific evidence and a sound understanding of urban issues by the authorities. Many people have experienced and benefitted from the convenience offered by digital services accessed through a range of platforms and are demanding the same from the government sector.

Hence, the development of a smart city definitely requires a smart mayor and vice versa. Technology is a powerful tool, but it requires the right combination of management policy and technical ability to fully realize its potential for solving today’s urban challenges.

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